Senior Infrastructure Systems Engineer

About Armed Forces Benefit Association (AFBA) and 5Star Life

In 1947, AFBA emerged from the basement of the Pentagon to solve a critical need in support of the military. More than 75 years later, our commitment to those who serve and to solving their unique problems remains core to everything we do. Founded to provide military members with a death benefit no one else would, we continue to embrace our mission and deliver benefits tailored to the real-life needs of all who serve today, including active duty, National Guard, and first responders. Providing protection to those who go in harm’s way, we ensure survivor and other benefits are available to all who serve, defend, and protect our great nation, no matter what. 5Star Life Insurance Company was founded in service and carry that mission today by committing to serve those who serve, from underwriting benefits for military and first responder families to providing coverage to the employees that keep our communities running. Our commitment to our communities – rather than the bottom line- drives our business.

We offer a flexible hybrid work environment, allowing you to enjoy the best of both worlds with 3 days in the office and up to 2 days working remotely each week. This position is in Alexandria, VA. There is no relocation assistance available.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for a highly skilled Senior Infrastructure Systems Engineer who will play a critical role in architecting, securing, and evolving our hybrid infrastructure across both our data centers and the Microsoft cloud ecosystem.

What You’ll Do Lead Infrastructure and Cloud Architecture

• Design and architect secure, scalable infrastructure solutions across on‑premises and Microsoft Azure environments.

• Ensure system integrity through rigorous security hardening and industry best practices.

• Review and enhance backup, disaster recovery, storage, and compute platforms.

• Champion modern engineering approaches, automation, and continuous improvement across the environment.

Drive Operational Excellence

• Troubleshoot and resolve complex issues in Active Directory, Entra ID, DNS, Conditional Access, Certificate Services, trusts, and hybrid identity.

• Serve as a senior escalation point for server, desktop, and cloud incidents.

• Maintain high availability and reliability through proactive platform checks and lifecycle management.

• Participate in a 24×7 on‑call rotation and support planned maintenance windows.

Own Cloud & Data Center Execution

• Manage both cloud-based workloads and physical infrastructure in our Ashburn, VA data center.

• Rack, stack, cable, and configure equipment to support core infrastructure.

• Oversee external MSPs and consultants to ensure top-tier delivery and alignment with company goals.

Document, Analyze, and Innovate

• Maintain detailed infrastructure documentation, diagrams, and configuration repositories.

• Translate business needs into forward-thinking, scalable solutions.

• Continuously look for opportunities to improve performance, security, and automation.

What You Bring Experience & Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience.

• 10–12 years of IT experience, ideally within financial services or other highly regulated industries.

• 2+ years in a cloud engineering role (Azure preferred).

• 5+ years designing and supporting enterprise Active Directory, Azure, and M365 environments.

• Azure Solutions Architect or MCSE certification preferred.

Technical Expertise

• Active Directory: Expert-level knowledge of identity, DNS, secure DNS, FSMO roles, trusts, authentication, and enterprise GPO strategy.

• Cloud Platforms: Entra ID, Azure Arc, Azure Virtual Desktop, M365, hybrid cloud architectures.

• Infrastructure: VMware, Cisco UCS, Cisco Intersight, Pure storage, Windows Server, Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

• Security: Zero Trust, RBAC, CIS benchmarks, encryption, certificate lifecycle management.

• Networking: Strong understanding of routing, switching, DNS/DHCP, and firewalls.

• Automation & Scripting (preferred): Terraform, Ansible, Puppet, PowerShell, Bash, Python.

Benefits we offer:

• health insurance (medical, dental, and vision)

• flexible spending accounts (medical and dependent care)

• 401k plan with generous employer match

• paid time off

• paid holidays (12)

• life insurance

• short- and long-term disability insurance

• employee assistance program

• professional development & tuition reimbursement

• career growth opportunities

• on-site gym and locker rooms (Alexandria, VA office only)

• friendly, collaborative culture

Qualified people of all races, ethnicities, ages, sex, genders, sexual orientations, national origins, gender identities, marital status, religions, veterans' statuses, disabilities, and any other protected classes are strongly encouraged to apply. As an equal opportunity workplace, we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. AFBA and 5Star Life Insurance Company endeavors to make reasonable accommodations to the known physical or mental limitations of qualified applicants with a disability unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business. If an applicant believes they require such assistance to complete the application or to participate in an interview, or has any questions or concerns, they should contact Human Resources (hr@afba.com) (hr@afba.com). EEO is the Law (https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/migrated_files/employers/poster_screen_reader_optimized.pdf) (Link to external DOL site). AFBA and 5Star Life Insurance Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer and an E-Verify Employer.